Posted Feb 21, 2012
If this winter had been any warmer, we would be craving chilled soups right about now. Instead, the weather finally cooperated to make a hot, hearty soup a welcome choice for a main meal.
The idea for this soup began on Super Bowl Sunday with a smoked ham slathered with mustard and brown sugar and roasted until heated through. The leftover bone and meat would flavor a split pea soup quite nicely, but when we found a bag of 15 bean soup mix rather than split peas in the pantry, the recipe went in another direction.
The bean package includes a seasoning packet that we discarded. Instead, with the many beans and peas as inspiration, we decided to flavor the soup with chili-style herbs and spices. The seasonings, though, are easy to change. To give the soup a Mediterranean flavor, add oregano, basil, thyme and parsley.
This recipe produces a large quantity of soup — convenient if you’re feeding a crowd or want to freeze family-friendly portions for a quick meal.
15 BEAN AND HAM SOUP
1 (20-ounce) bag 15 bean soup mix
1 meaty ham bone
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium, if storebought
2 bay leaves
4 large carrots, peeled, cut lengthwise into quarters and chopped
3 celery stalks, cut lengthwise in half and chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Rinse beans in a colander. Check beans for any stones or debris. Put beans in a large pot or bowl and cover with cold water. Cover the pot or bowl and soak beans overnight.
To make the soup, drain the beans and transfer to a 10-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the ham bone, chopped onion, garlic, chicken stock and bay leaves. Turn the heat to low, and cook for 8 hours. Add carrots, celery, oregano, cumin, chili powder and ground coriander. Cover slow cooker and cook for 2-1/2 hours or until beans are tender. (The soup also can be cooked on top of the stove for about 3 hours or until the beans are tender. Add the carrots and celery about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.)
Remove ham bone from soup. Remove the meat from the bone, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return ham to the soup, and discard the bone. Stir in salt, pepper and parsley, taste and adjust salt and pepper, if necessary. Makes about 8 quarts of soup; this soup freezes well.
©2012 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.)
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